


Flowers Turn To Shards

by Kamikaze_Embers



Series: Homeworld Remains The Worst [4]
Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Angst, Corrupted Gems, Corruption, Experimentation, F/F, Homeworld (Steven Universe), Homeworld is Horrible, Hurt No Comfort, Unethical Experimentation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-24
Updated: 2018-03-24
Packaged: 2019-04-07 14:22:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14082837
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kamikaze_Embers/pseuds/Kamikaze_Embers
Summary: How long has it been since the blue flowers first started appearing on her desk? Tied with a teal ribbon and sometimes an note without a name. She's kept them, but she's running out of room. And like the now-wilting flowers, out of time.Blue Zircon has been finding flowers on her desk. She's not sure who's been leaving them, and she wants to find out who it is.But her time is limited, like a flower's.





	Flowers Turn To Shards

How long has it been since the blue flowers first started appearing on her desk? Tied with a teal ribbon and sometimes an note without a name. She's kept them, but she's running out of room. And like the now-wilting flowers, out of time.

She sets the flowers in a vase, smiling with a light shake of her head. As she glances through her files, she taps her fingers on the smooth surface of her desk. It's become a habit, much like the odd flowers that appear so suddenly.

There's another thing bothering the azure gem. Her coworker's attitude. Lately, she's become flighty, avoiding Blue whenever possible. It's a drastic change from eons earlier, when she would relentlessly taunt and tease Blue.

Blue sighs again, smoothing back her silvery periwinkle hair. She needs something else to focus on, she's getting tense all over again. She really needs to figure out how to get over being so stressed; zircons are always stressed past the point of breakdowns.

The azure gem had long given up counting how many times she had collapsed in her office after a rough rotation. How many times she knew that the next rotation would be the same, if not worse. She would sob, her form shaking. Sometimes, she'd break things. But never the vases. 

Sighing heavily, it seems to take all of her energy just to stand up from her chair. Walking out of her office, she bumps into one her colleagues. It's none other than Yellow Zircon, a gem around her age but far more confident. Well, she used to be. But like sandpaper against the strongest stone, she's agonizingly slowly crumbling. 

Blue stops, staring at the golden gem. "Yellow?" The other gem looks away, cheeks dusted a deep honey amber hue. She suddenly hurried past, leaving Blue speechless and confused.

She'll try again tomorrow, she decides.

Eventually, she does talk to the sunny gem. She's nervous and tense. Both of them are. They get into an argument, similar to in court. But it quickly turns insulting, both throwing every insult they can think of at each other, anger slowly painting their vision and minds red. Blue can't remember what they were arguing about, but she'll never forget her closing statement, her final insult.

"You dirtbomb, I hope you get shattered. You waste of space, you useless clod!" When had she gotten physically violent, she can't remember. But the broken and shocked look in those deep golden eyes will haunt her for eons.

She had left, tears streaming down her face.  
Behind her, she could hear the yellow gem sniffling and crying. She was trying to stay quiet.

That was weeks ago, but it haunted her, scared her. She hasn't seen the sunny gem since. The words echo in her head. She feels even more drained and on edge than usual.

After another long series of rough cases, she returns to her office to find the vases have all been broken. The flower's petals scatter the floor, some a withering brownish-blue. Others are still a vibrant navy hue. The clear glass has stains of honey gold on them. 

The note is written in a cursive style, the letters the color of stardust.

"Goodbye." The note reads. Blue's eyes widen. She looks around nervously, as though there is someone else in her office.

The days go by and there are no more flowers on her desk. Blue sighs, looking at her desk as if the flowers will magically materialize onto it.

Then one day, something is on her desk. A huge, delicate looking basket. In it are several flowers of blue and yellow. Buttercups and bluebells, she thinks with a smile.

However, nestled in the middle of the basket are the shards the color of the sun. The pieces glow a honey amber, reflecting the little bits of light from the open window.

The navy blue gem stumbles back as though she has been struck. Tears stream down her face, hands trembling. 

"I didn't even get to say sorry." She whispers.

The next few eons, she has become merely a shell of her former self. She doesn't have the energy to do anything but sit at her desk and hold Yellow's shards in her hands, whispering to them as if that'll bring her back.

Then, a wild idea strikes her. She runs to the station where Calcites experiment with various gems. While Peridots and Bismuths work with metals and make stuff for gems, Calcites work with actual gems.

She knocks on the hazy glass door. A Calcite opens it and raises an eyebrow. 

"What are you doing here?" She asks bluntly. Without a word, Blue holds up the golden shards.

"Do you think you can put these back together?" Blue asks with watery eyes.

The Calcite taps her chin thoughtfully.

"I'm not certain, but my team and I will do our best." She says, gesturing to her team in the distance.

Truthfully, Blue didn't like Calcites. They were cold and cruel, taking joy in experimenting on poor, defenseless gems. But if they could put Yellow back together, it was worth it.

"Come on back here, let's see what we can do with this beauty." Blue bit her lip, not liking the Calcite's attitude. 

"I'm guessing her cut is like yours, yeah?" Blue nods, the gem grins.

"Perfect."

Adjusting her large visors, she begins placing the pieces together. Minutes feel like hours, hours feel like rotations and rotations feel like eons. But at long last, the pieces have been assembled.

Carefully cranking up here flamethrower, she begins to heat the gem pieces, melting them together. Once it has melted, the Calcite places it into a mold and lets it cool. Then, she chisles out the same cut as Blue onto it.

"And now, we wait." The Calcite says, wiping her forehead.

At first, nothing happens for a long time. Then, the gem begins to glow. Blue clasps her hands eagerly, her eyes shining.

But something isn't right. The gem's silhouette shape is wrong. And it only gets worse.

The gem lands on all fours. Her eyes are hazy, her hair messy. Her clothes are torn and random, pale yellow crystals grow from various parts of her. Mostly around her gemstone.

Her nails are dark gold claws, her blindingly bright teeth impossibly sharp. Her form is splattered with odd gold splashes. She growls loudly and Blue's eyes fill with tears. She sinks to the ground.

"Yellow, oh Yellow. I'm so sorry." She whispers. The gem whimpers and rubs her head against Blue's hand. 

The Calcite sighs and brings forth a damaged Rose Quartz, one whose tears never stop flowing and can't speak at all. The Calcite scoops up the tears with her gloved hand and places them on the golden gem's gemstone.

The golden gem seems to somewhat return to normal, but can't talk. Calcite hands her some pencils and papers. Yellow begins to write.

It's awkward and messy, the letters jumbled and blending together.

"Blue. Blue. Is that you?"  
Blue nods and Yellow smiles. She curls up in Blue's lap as she continues to write.

"I don't remember much of what happened. I just know bits and pieces. Like my gemstone." She draws the dark, shadowy gems; their weapons in hand. 

She draws the honey gold pieces. Now her writing and art is getting worse. Calcite tries to heal her some more, but with a loud cry, she reverts to before.

It's a slow, painful transformation, and both are sobbing. Yellow's tears crystallize on her face.

She manages to write one more thing before the effect is reversed.

"I love you. And I'm sorry."


End file.
